N i g h t i n g a l e
by Difinity
Summary: Years ago, two people's paths crossed as they heard a nightingale. Romance blossoms between them as they fight to escape from those who wish to destroy them, but in the midst of all the turmoil, they can still hear the nightingale's song...KratosxAnna


A/N: Because is lacking these kinds of stories, I think it's about time I began my own.

This is a Kratos Aurion x Anna story! Sorry, but Kratos belongs with Anna and Anna only!

Disclaimer: Tales of Symphonia © Namco

Warning: This story contains HUGE spoilers for Tales of Symphonia. Read at your own risk.

.N i g h t i n g a l e.

C h a p t e r : I

The sun shone down brightly upon the city that buzzed with its usual business. People wandered around the small town, taking care of their errands and working as they did on a regular basis. A brisk breeze blew by as the town continued in its daily routine, nothing out of the ordinary occurring that would merit anyone's attention.

Beside the small temple to the goddess Martel, a young woman was helping the local men rebuild the item shop that had partially burned down due to an accidental fire that had erupted not too long ago.

Long wisps of hair framed the side of her face and fell a bit above her left eye while the rest of her long auburn hair was tied back into a pleasant braid. Complimenting her hair, was the creamy color of her skin as it shone in the sun while she worked and her emerald eyes made even the most beautiful of jewels blush in shame. She appeared petite, but inside burned a fiery soul that loved life and all the adventures that it held.

"Anna! We could use a little more help over here!"

"Coming!" she called out at the sound of her name. Stepping down from the ladder, Anna hurried over to the other side of the building, climbing the side of the building to head over to the roof where the men were repairing the burned patches. She smiled at them as she took a hammer and began to work at once, not bothering anyone with questions on what to do. She loved to help make her city a better place, for she loved it so.

Luin, the City of Hope, had been attacked and destroyed times before, when the Desians at the Asgard Human Ranch would become hostile. There were times when the city would finally feel free from their grasp before they came barging in and began to take villagers away to the Ranch where they were never heard from again. Terror always nipped at Anna's heart when warnings of a Desian invasion would arise but for the most part, they had been false alarms. She hated living knowing that at any given moment, the people she loved in the city might not be there and instead would be dragged of to a foreign place where who knows what might happen to them.

Soon the work was nearing completion before one of the workers approached Anna, wiping the sweat off his brow.

"Anna, you can take off if you'd like, we're almost about done here," he offered. Anna smiled kindly at him but shook her head.

"Thank you Thomas, but I'll help you finish the rest the work. It's no trouble, really; I enjoy it," she replied, turning her attention back to the almost completed roof. Thomas grinned at her and placed a hand over her shoulder, causing her to pause and look up again.

He sighed. "Really, Anna, you can leave if you want; I think you do more work than the men do!" he laughed, but sighed when she shook her head and began to work once more. "Stubborn as always, aren't you?"

"Anna!"

Both Anna and Thomas turned at the sound of her name to look down on a middle-aged man who was waving the young woman over. Anna blinked at him as she set the hammer down and stood up, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. The man waved her over again.

"Mari needs you to go and pick up some vegetables for dinner, so would you please call it a day?" he requested. Anna sighed and waved to Thomas before climbing down and hopping down to the floor, greeting the man with a kind smile before she took a list from him and headed over to the vegetable stand on the other side of the city.

"How are you, Walt?" Thomas greeted the man as he approached him, shaking his hand.

"I'm fine, thank you, though I see you've been having my Anna work on construction once again," he laughed, raising an eyebrow. Thomas scratched his head nervously, giving the man a lopsided grin before shrugging.

"She's nothing like the other women in town, sir. She really loves hands on work and even knows how to wield swords, which is very uncommon for anyone in Luin, especially a woman!" Thomas remarked, surprising himself. Walt looked over in the direction Anna had disappeared to and smiled for a moment, lost in thought before turning back to face Thomas.

He folded his arms and nodded. "Anna is indeed a very different girl from any I've ever seen," he mused, closing his eyes, "She's very talented with almost anything she does. And she's very good with the children of the village…makes for quite the wife, eh, Thomas?" Walt finished, opening one eye to see the young man in front of him flush a bright shade of red.

Thomas waved his hands in front of him, willing the redness in his face to fade away. "No sir! I wouldn't dream of anything like that!"

"Oh come now, my boy, she's a fine young woman that would make any man proud," Walk said matter of factly, "there's no need to be embarrassed!"

"But she's a swordswoman and I'm just…a carpenter!"

"Now don't you sell yourself short. I'm sure you and Anna would make a wonderful couple; I know how highly she thinks of you," the middle-aged man said, nodding once more. Thomas' eyes lit up slightly.

"Really?"

From the other side of town, Anna watched the two converse, sighing and blowing strands of hair away from her face.

Walt had his heart on Anna falling in love and marrying Thomas. While they had known each other since they were 10 years old, now almost 11 years later, Anna still only thought of him as a friend. Yes, he was her best friend and she thought highly of him, but no romantic feelings had ever blossomed; Anna doubted they ever would. It never hurt to think of what life would be like if she did end up marrying him, but somehow, she knew it wouldn't happen. If it ever did end up coming to pass, she'd be just as surprised as everyone else!

Tearing her gaze from the two men, she continued to walk to the entrance of Luin where her Aunt Mari would undoubtedly be waiting for the food she had requested. Anna clutched the basket she held close to her chest, not wanting any specs of dirt to fly atop and dirty her purchases. She walked through the cleared paths and looked around at the peaceful city, wondering how there were people heartless enough to want to set it ablaze and see it crumble to the ground. It was a tragedy, she thought.

Anna arrived at the door of her home and entered, all at once taking in the warm scents that were being emitted from the kitchen nearby.

"Anna, is that you?" a voice called out.

"Yes, I'm home," Anna called back, heading over to the kitchen to find a semi-tall woman in front of the stove, wiping her hands on the apron she was wearing. She waved Anna over and received the basket that she had been carrying, setting it on the small table that sat beside the window.

The house was warm and cozy with it's wooden floor and small decorative pieces here and there. The sitting room was small but peaceful as it adjoined the kitchen close by. A small stairway stood on the right side of the kitchen, leading up to the two rooms upstairs; Mari and Walt's room on the right and Anna's room on the left.

Anna smiled at her aunt before heading upstairs to her room, where upon entering, she collapsed on her bed, exhausted from the day's work she had put in. She stared up at the ceiling, her eyelids suddenly feeling heavy and began to drop. She willed them to stay open, but found the temptation of sleep to be too strong.

Anna sighed and shut her eyes, yawning in the process, and fell asleep.

A few hours later, Anna woke with a start, realizing she had probably slept through dinner and was heading later into the night. She sat up and stretched before she tiptoed out of her room and began to head down the hall when she heard her uncle and aunt speaking in their room. Hearing snippets of her name being mentioned, she crept along the wall and stopped short of their room, enough to hear more of the conversation.

"People are beginning to talk, Mari. They don't approve of Anna's non-traditional lifestyle," Anna heard her uncle say.

"But Walt, I think Anna is wonderful! It's because she's so different that so many people here love her so much; you can't let a few rumors get to you," Mari gently scolded her husband.

Anna's breath caught in her throat for a moment. _'Rumors? About me?'_ she wondered.

"What I think is that Anna needs to settle down and find a nice man to marry here in Luin," Walt suggested, much to Aunt Mari and Anna's disappointment. "Why not Thomas? It's only a matter of time before the two of them fall in love with one another and begin to plan a life together."

"She's told me before that that's not in her life's plan! Anna wants to be free, Walt. She wants to travel, to continue to learn to wield swords…she wants to be different! To be accepted for who she is, and if she happens to find someone to love and who loves her for who she is, then, according to her, all the ridicule she'll endure will be worth it." Mari stood up, irritated that her own husband, who loved Anna, could possibly think of wanting to forcefully change the young woman.

Anna heard her aunt approaching the door and she quickly fled down the stairs and out of the house, furious at her uncle…at the townspeople…at everyone who looked down on her because she wasn't of the norm. Did it really matter if she was the traditional woman? After all, wasn't being unique and true to yourself the most important thing of all?

"There's nothing wrong with me," she muttered, stomping through town.

Night had fallen on Luin, the tiny streets darkened with shadows and slivers of moonlight that streaked the paths. Few lights were on in the surrounding homes, for many Luinians had already gone to bed to prepare for the next work day. Anna stopped at the tiny fishing pier, looking down at her reflection before she picked up a pebble and tossed it into the water.

She looked at her reflection and wondered what type of person she'd be if she were to give into her uncle's demands. But as soon as the thought came into her mind, she shook her head, irked that she could possibly think of such a thing. The people of Luin would just have to accept her the way she was, Anna thought. No amount of ridicule would bring her down.

As the water began to clear and grow still, Anna heard a faint chirping not too far away from where she was. Deciding to investigate, she began to approach a few trees that grew behind the small Martel Temple. The sound grew stronger as she entered a small clearing that resembled a miniature forest. Because the city was near a forest, this area did not surprise Anna with it's existence, but she couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't discovered it before.

Anna entered the small clearing, illuminated by slivers of moonlight that peeked through the branches of the trees. The area was washed in hues of blue and tiny sparkles of white that floated in the air. From a tree that sat not too far off, the chirping was audible and Anna discovered it to be a song. She approached the tree and looked up to find a tiny nightingale perched atop a branch that outstretched from the others. The tiny bird continued to sing happily, it's lovely song echoing in the small area. Anna couldn't help but smile at the sight of the tiny bird, it's tiny beak opening to emit each tiny note of it's song.

However, the slight sound of movement made Anna's back stiffen and her breath catch in her throat. She froze, wondering who else could be up at this hour of the night and wandering behind Martel Temple. No new visitors had appeared in town recently, according to her knowledge, and for all she knew, it could be a drunken man wandering around aimlessly through the region. Her heart pounded wildly in anticipation as a figure emerged from the darkness and into the light, eyes widening at the sight before her.

A tall, muscular looking man emerged into the light. His hair, long and wild, was spiked up in the air, partly covering his left eye. He was dressed clad in a uniform that appeared to be deep blue or purple in color, Anna wasn't sure. A sheath hung at his side, the handle of a sword glimmering in the light. Although he appeared dangerous in the dead of night, Anna noticed that he too, came to admire the nightingale's song.

Sensing someone else was in the area, the man tore his gaze away from the tiny bird to find a young woman standing in the clearing as well, glowing in the moonlight, her eyes fixated on him as well. Her expression was one of confusion and surprise as she examined him despite the darkness that cloaked his face. He stepped forward into the light to reveal himself, watching the girl's eyes widen.

Despite herself, Anna couldn't help but blush slightly when the man emerged fully into the light and revealed a young, handsome looking face. The two stood in silence, staring at one another while the nightingale, oblivious to the tense situation, continued to sing.

The man's eyes, Anna noticed, appeared to be a fierce color of ruby, yet despite their menacing look, inside, they were somber.

End of Chapter I


End file.
